


Sorcerers and Warlocks

by MonPetitTresor



Series: Shadowhunters in the MCU [3]
Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe, Shadowhunters (TV)
Genre: Angst and Hurt/Comfort, Arc Reactor, Body Horror, M/M, Non-Consensual Body Modification, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder - PTSD, Surgery, Tony Stark Has Issues, and, and these are the after effects, because that happened in the past, but his family loves him, graphic body talk, let's throw in, non-graphic surgery, sometimes
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-04-08
Updated: 2019-05-16
Packaged: 2020-01-07 00:31:56
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 11,371
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18399485
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MonPetitTresor/pseuds/MonPetitTresor
Summary: Jim finally gets back to Magnus about that doctor he mentioned, only for Magnus to realize that there's more to this doctor than there seems. He might actually be a real hope for getting the shrapnel out of Tony's chest. That is, if they can get the two to stop snarking long enough for it to work.





	1. Chapter 1

“This plan had better work.”

Catarina’s sharp words had Magnus fighting back the urge to roll his eyes. It wasn’t the first time she’d showed her displeasure in some form or another at their plan. Ever since it had come up what Magnus intended to do, and who exactly it was they were going to see, she’d been letting him know just how stupid it was. In Catarina’s eyes, they should’ve talked to Tony first, gotten his permission to come out here, or brought him with them at the very least.

Smothering a sigh, Magnus pasted on a smile and patted at her hand, which was tucked in the crook of his elbow. “Have faith, my dear. I know what I’m doing.”

“Now I’m really worried.” Catarina shot him a sideways look of both amusement and reproach, a look that she’d perfected in her time knowing him. “Those words never preface anything good when it comes to you.”

Magnus gasped and drew up his free hand, pressing it over his heart. “Excuse you? I have _wonderful_ ideas! All of my plans are _magnificent_!”

The derisive sound she made showed clearly what she thought of _that_.

Their argument was prevented from continuing when they finally reached their destination. Magnus stopped them in front of the house that, to the passing mundane, wouldn’t really look like anything special. Even to those with the Sight, they still wouldn’t be able to see anything. It was only those that were trained in magic that would be able to see the wards wrapped around the place. It took someone stronger than that to see _beyond_ the wards.

When Jim had brought them the information on the doctor that he knew about, telling them that he’d just sort of vanished after an accident with his hands, the name had sounded vaguely familiar to Magnus. Enough that he’d gone looking just to see if there was something important that he might be missing.

He hadn’t expected to find that the doctor Jim had spoken of had taken over as the new Sorcerer Supreme.

Sorcerers were an interesting set of people. Not quite mundanes, but not warlocks either. They had a special place in the world. They were people who were once mundanes and who’d learned the ability to reach into the innate magic that existed in themselves and the world around them, as well as the _universes_ that so few even know existed. They were also an old order whose history dated back so long not even Magnus knew the truth as to how they came to be.

What he did know was that warlocks and sorcerers had a friendly relationship between them. Sometimes a bit of a friendly rivalry, too. Sorcerers could do amazing things with their magic, reaching into other dimensions, fighting the evil that came from those dimensions, and helping to keep the world safe from that evil. There were things they could do that a warlock couldn’t. But there were also plenty of things a warlock could do that a sorcerer never could. More that they could do without thought, whereas a sorcerer would need a magical object – like the little rings they wore – to be able to do. They also weren’t immortal. If they wanted to live longer, it came at a price.

The last Sorcerer Supreme had been a nice woman. Old, wise, and with a sense of humor that Magnus could appreciate. He’d enjoyed her company a time or two. Of course, he’d fought with her, too. Some of the ideals she carried grated against Magnus and his own beliefs. But no friendship was perfect.

Word on the street was that the new Sorcerer Supreme was strong and that he’d saved them all from Dormammu, which was no easy feat. But they also said he was young, still learning a lot of their ways, and, frankly, a bit of an asshole.

If what Jim said about the man’s medical skills was true, he was also their best bet at getting the arc reactor out of Tony. Even if his hands _had_ been damaged in an accident. If Catarina couldn’t help to heal his hands – which was half the reason she was even here with Magnus right now – there were spells they could do to help him long enough for him to work on Tony. Magnus just wanted to hold off on doing any of those unless they absolutely had to. Not only was it taxing, but it was also cruel. It gave a person a taste of what they’d lost only to end up taking it away again in the end.

Magnus strolled up the steps of the New York Sanctum with the ease of someone who’d been here plenty of times before. A flick of his hand and a wave of magic had the wards parting like a curtain to let him reach the front door. He could’ve opened the doors and simply walked right in, but there was no need to start their meeting off with rudeness. To that point, he settled for stopping in front of the large front doors and giving a few sharp knocks.

“Bit pretentious,” Catarina murmured, eyeing the doors.

Amusement curved Magnus’ lips. He shot her a fond look edged in merriment. “Considering that you’ve known me for so long, that’s quite a statement to make.”

He got the smile that he’d been aiming for. It lit up her face and warmed her eyes just in time for the doors to open.

The person they met on the other side wasn’t quite what Magnus had been expecting. _Pretentious_ seemed to be a pretty good word here, too. This man was undoubtedly the new Sorcerer Supreme, and he looked as young as the rumors suggested even with the touch of silver at his temples. He was tall, close to Alec in height likely, with a rather severe face. Sharp brows drew down over serious grey eyes. He had a goatee, almost like Tony’s only without the sharp precision that Tony maintained his with.

The guy was definitely making a fashion statement, too. He was dressed in blue robes with a lot of belts wrapped around his waist, and the bright red Cloak of Levitation around his shoulders.

It was the sight of the Cloak that had Magnus honestly lighting up. “Oh! Would you look at you! You’ve finally chosen a friend!”

“I beg your pardon?” The man – this had to be Stephen Strange – said with clear surprise, eyebrows shooting up.

Cloak knew who Magnus was talking to, though, and they flew off of Stephen to come and wrap briefly around Magnus in a warm, welcoming hug. Magnus laughed aloud, bringing his hands up to catch his friend and nuzzle in a bit against them. “Yes, hello there, darling. You’re looking wonderful, aren’t you?”

“I’m not quite sure if I should protest the apparent abandonment by my own Cloak, or give you two a moment alone,” Stephen said suddenly, bringing Magnus’ eyes up to him. He was watching them, mouth quirked into a wry grin.

Cloak flew off of Magnus at that, giving one last parting stroke against his shoulders, and settled back around Stephen’s shoulders with a clear squeezing hug. The way that Stephen rolled his eyes was belied by the faint fondness that showed in the crinkles around them. So, a good friendship with Cloak, then. That gave Stephen a few points in Magnus’ books.

Because of that, Magnus smiled a bit more openly at him. “Dr. Strange, I presume?”

“You have the pleasure of knowing my name, but I can’t say I know yours.”

Ah, and there was a hint of the arrogance Magnus had been warned about. Magnus didn’t let it phase him. He could play arrogant just as well as anyone else and had been known to with strangers and clients both. Having it turned on him didn’t bother him. He just let his smile grow, and then gave a half-bow of respect to the man of power in his own home. “My apologies for the lack of introductions. I’m Magnus Bane, High Warlock of Brooklyn, and this is my dear friend Catarina Loss.”

When Magnus straightened back up, he found that Stephen looked nonplussed once more. His eyebrows seemed to be taking permanent residence high on his forehead. “High Warlock of Brooklyn? That’s a thing?” Pausing, he sighed, eyebrows dropping down and eyes briefly closing. “What am I saying? Of course it is. Why wouldn’t there be High Warlocks to add into the mix of everything else.”

“Luckily for you, there’s only one in the whole of New York right now,” Catarina said, not sounding sympathetic in the least. Her own amusement was starting to show through for those that knew how to look for it. “The High Warlock of Manhattan was the only other, and he’s been on a sort of vacation these past few years. They’ve been looking to appoint someone new, the Council just hasn’t gotten around to it yet, and no one’s stepped up to take the open slot.”

Stephen opened his mouth, clearly unsure about what to respond to that with. He was saved from having to say anything by the arrival of someone else. Magnus heard footsteps, and then a familiar voice. “Do we have visitors?” before Wong stepped into the space beside Stephen in the open doorway. As soon as he saw Magnus, his eyes went briefly wide, and then he was stepping back to give a small bow. “High Warlock Bane.”

“Wong.” Magnus let his smile soften and warm. “It’s good to see you. You look well.”

“Thank you. And you as well, sir.” The man straightened back up, and then – to Magnus’ amusement – he clearly elbowed Stephen to get him to move, and he drew the door further open, taking a step back of his own. “Please, come in, come in. Would either of you care for some refreshment? Tea, perhaps?”

Magnus drew Catarina in with him, enjoying this whole situation probably more than he should. The discomfited way that Stephen was watching them now was way too entertaining. Still, Magnus spared an honest smile for Wong, and he patted his shoulder as he passed him. “How many times do I have to tell you, you don’t need to be so formal with me, Wong.”

As usual, Wong ignored that. “My apologies for your welcome. With everything that has been happening, we haven’t had time to properly brief our new Sorcerer Supreme on everything. While aware of the Shadow world in its barest forms, we have yet to fully cover warlocks and their relations to sorcerers.”

“Not a problem. I’ve been told I’m not easily explained, anyway,” Magnus said, grinning.

Catarina snorted loudly. “That’s a vast understatement.”

“Why don’t we go somewhere a little more comfortable and I’ll give out a quick Warlock 101?”

That was how the three of them ended up in Stephen’s office down at the far end of the hall. It wasn’t the same as the last Sorcerer Supreme had used, which Magnus felt was smart. It was always better to take a new space and make it your own. That way you could start without being surrounded by the ghosts of the past. Stephen looked like he was perfectly at home in the space, seated behind the big mahogany desk, Cloak no longer on his shoulders but leaning against the back of his high-backed chair. Magnus and Catarina took the chairs on the other side, close enough to one another to still touch if they wanted.

“Right,” Magnus said, clapping his hands together. “So, I know I told Wong I’d give you a bit of Warlock 101, and I stand by that. If you’d like, I’ll happily talk you through warlock-sorcerer relations, but I get the feeling he’s going to give you a lesson of his own no matter what I say. I don’t imagine you’d like to hear it twice, and quite frankly, my title isn’t what’s important about today’s visit. Much as I’d like to say I’m here to greet the new Sorcerer Supreme and talk business, I’m actually here for a much more personal reason today. One that, sadly, can’t wait.”

“What is it you think I can do for you?” Stephen asked curiously.

Straight to the point. Magnus could appreciate that. He didn’t really feel like wasting time with politics and titles and everything like that. Folding his hands in his lap, he met Stephen’s gaze head-on. “I’m actually here to speak to you as a doctor as well as the Sorcerer Supreme.”

There was a brief grimace around Stephen’s eyes. It was the only outward sign he gave of the grief he no doubt still felt for his old life. “I’m not a doctor anymore.”

“No, but you’re a sorcerer with the best medical skills possible,” Magnus said. “You see, I have a warlock who suffered a surprising injury that we can’t correct. We’ve tried to research it, but our magic only gets us so far, and it would be extremely beneficial to have someone look at things who also knows the medical side as well as the magical.”

A light flashed through Stephen’s eyes. If Magnus had to put a name to it, he would’ve called it interest. In that look it was easy to see what Jim had talked about; this was someone who was caught by puzzles. Magnus could see the doctor who had wanted to take _interesting_ cases. The ones that everyone else would turn away. “What kind of injury?”

Here was where things got tricky. Magnus wasn’t exactly after revealing Tony’s identity until he could be sure that Stephen would keep quiet about it. But he was going to have to give the man something. There was no way of talking about this without giving something away. Slowly, carefully, he chose his next words. “They were attacked by a man-made weapon. Because of that, they have tiny bits of metal floating around inside of them that, for some reason or another, we can’t use magic to simply draw out. The proximity of them to his heart makes anything we do extremely risky. For now, the best we’ve been able to manage is to sort of freeze them in place. Only, to get in to remove them, the protection that keeps them still has to be removed, allowing them to flow freely once more.”

Stephen’s interest only grew brighter. He folded his hands together on his desk and then leaned his weight on his arms. “Have you been able to get any kind of imaging to ascertain their exact location?”

It was Catarina who answered that. “We brought them with us.” She reached down into her bag and pulled out the small box they’d brought with them just for this purpose. It was a portable hologram machine that Tony had created for them just for this purpose. He’d done it for Catarina, who had said she had someone she wanted to consult. In it were all the scans that JARVIS had taken and pieced together of Tony’s chest cavity. He’d worked hard with Tony on making it. Magnus had been in awe when he’d seen it. True to form for Tony, it was a manipulatable hologram. Tony had shown them how to use it; how to lift out different pieces from the rest so that his bone structure, his muscular structure, his organs, even his veins were able to be pulled upward and looked at separately from the rest.

She set the box on the center of the desk and pressed the buttons that Tony had showed her. A second later, the image sprang to life in front of them, showing the makeup of Tony’s chest right there in front of them. It was internal, as if someone had peeled the skin away to show what was left behind – and taken away the arc reactor, too. That wasn’t something that _anyone_ needed to see.

Stephen didn’t even try to hide his interest when he looked at the images. “ _Amazing_.”

Catarina reached out to manipulate the image, pulling the different layers apart so that they were all visible. “There’s lots of damage to contend with, not just the shrapnel itself. When the attack happened, the patient underwent immediate field surgery, which removed the worst bits. However, to be able to what was needed to hold the remaining pieces in place, they underwent a bit of… body modification.”

“Have there… they’ve had _ribs_ removed!” Stephen was straightening up in his chair. He reached out for the hologram, and Catarina let him take over, allowing him to toy around until he was able to pull the layer he wanted forward. He caught on quickly to what he needed to do. With sharp eyes, he looked over the imaging of Tony’s skeleton. “Not just ribs. Part of the sternum as well. This is beyond body modification. How on earth are they still functioning with this? The stress it no doubt puts on the rest of the sternum, as well as other ribs…”

He trailed off into murmurs that occasionally grew louder and quieter depending on what he was looking at. Fingers with only a slight shake moved through the various layers of the holograms as Stephen looked at all the bits of Tony’s chest.

Seeing the damage so bluntly displayed made Magnus want to wince. Just thinking of what Tony had to go through each day – things that Magnus hadn’t even realized or known enough about anatomy to think of before. Now he knew, and it only made his worry for his boy grow. Especially as he listened to Catarina and Stephen debate Tony’s diminished lung capacity and the arrhythmia he’d developed, as well as his reactions to things like extreme heat or cold.

Eventually, Magnus couldn’t bring himself to listen to it anymore, and he broke into the middle of their conversation. “Do you think you can help us, Dr. Strange?”

It took a second for Stephen to break free from the science of things and pull his focus back to reality. He looked at Magnus and blinked a few times until his eyes cleared. Once they had, there was a slight wince, and his hands dropped back down to the desktop. “Once, maybe,” he admitted. It took a lot of bravery for him to say that. To admit to what he couldn’t do anymore. “However, I believe I know of someone whose skill I’d trust for a procedure like this. And I might have a spell that would help give the patient what they’d need to be able to make it through the surgery – _time_.”

Now it was Magnus’ turn to sit forward, his own interest clear to see. “Tell me your spell.”

* * *

It took almost an hour of talking and of going back and forth about the spell and its necessary components, as well as debates over who would be better at performing the spell, before the two finally settled on something that satisfied them both. By this point, they’d both risen from their chair and were standing side by side at the nearby table, the spell written out in front of them and various ingredients laid out, as well as a few reference books.

Magnus straightened himself back up, smiling as he went. “Very nice, Dr. Strange. It’s good to see your reputation isn’t for nothing.”

“You’re too bad yourself,” Stephen said. He held his hand out and smiled at Magnus as he shook it. Then, with his smile edging towards a smirk, he proved that for all his smarts, he was still capable of being an idiot. “Why don’t you bring Mr. Stark by tomorrow and we can take a look at things and discuss the spell mechanics with him? I’m sure he’ll want some input on things before we move forward.”

A soft “ _Idiot_ ” came from Catarina, who took a step back and away from them. Stephen gave her a curious look, but turned back when Magnus cheerfully said: “Oh, very clever, Strange.”

In the next instant, Stephen was flying backward to slam into the nearby bookcase. He hit hard enough that a few books actually fell down, and a nearby picture rattled. Magnus walked calmly toward him, one hand up and sparkling orange and red. It matched the bands of energy that were holding Stephen in place and preventing him from moving. Magnus grinned when Stephen realized that there was no way for him to move, no way for him to cast, and Cloak wasn’t rushing to help him.

When he reached the sorcerer, Magnus let the glamour fall from his eyes, and he stretched up to use every inch of his height, knowing that it would only help the aura of danger that he’d wrapped around himself. He stepped in close until his face was just inches from Stephen’s. “I’d recommend being careful with that clever tongue, lest you lose it.”

“Protective, are we?” Stephen asked, seemingly unable to keep from nettling Magnus.

“Believe me, _boy_ , I’d have no issue whatsoever wiping you from this dimension and every other one around if you even _think_ of messing with my kid.” He reached up and patted Stephen’s cheek, enjoying the way it made him flinch. “Keep that in mind the next time you open your mouth.”

That said, Magnus spun on his heel and held his arm out to Catarina, who rolled her eyes yet took hold of him. The magic holding Stephen stayed in place as they began to walk away. Magnus enjoyed the way that Stephen called after him, how he began to struggle. It was _immensely_ satisfying to give a twitch of his fingers and release the bonds right as Magnus reached the main hall where Wong was waiting for them. The sound of Stephen crashing to the ground reached them even out there.

“It was good to see you again, Wong,” Magnus said, leaning forward to give Wong a one-armed hug.

Wong hugged him back and then bowed when they drew apart. “And you as well, High Warlock Bane.” His eyes darted back towards Stephen’s office, and then to Magnus, just a hint of mirth showing through. “I promise, our new Sorcerer Supreme will be properly educated upon your next visit.”

Smirking, Magnus inclined his head and then turned to make his way out. He waited until they were outside before he flashed a grin at Catarina. “Well, that went well, I’d say.”

Catarina shook her head. There was a smile on her lips, though, and a mischievous glint in her eye. “Or something close to it. That was the easy part, though. Now you get to go and convince _Tony_.”

Just barely did Magnus manage to cover up a grimace. Yeah, going to talk to Tony about this wasn’t exactly going to be easy. He was understandably sensitive about anything to do with his chest or the arc reactor. Despite some practice, he still didn’t do all that well with letting anyone’s magic anywhere near it. The only way that they were going to get through this was for Magnus to be there while the procedure happened, to help keep Tony’s magic in check, and for them to keep Tony sedated strongly enough that he wouldn’t lash out. Which Tony was quite leery of. He didn’t like the idea of being unconscious and letting anyone near his chest.

No, convincing Tony wasn’t going to be easy, but Magnus would do it. He’d fight tooth and nail to convince his boy. If it meant keeping Tony safe, Magnus had no problem fighting it out with him. Nothing was more important than Tony’s safety. _Nothing_.


	2. Chapter 2

Knowing that Magnus and Catarina were going to consult with people to try and figure out how to help get the shrapnel out of Tony’s chest was one thing. It was something that Tony could pretend to himself wasn’t happening; that way he didn’t get his hopes up, and he didn’t have to freak out at the thought of anyone coming near his chest. Finding out that they’d actually found someone who was willing to do the job – that was something else entirely.

“Just meet with him,” Magnus pleaded. The two were sitting together in Tony’s workshop – a deliberate move on Magnus’ part, he knew, to approach the idea in a place where Tony felt the safest. “You don’t have to agree to this, Anthony. Just meet with him and hear what he has to say.”

It took a lot of effort for Tony not to reach up and start rubbing at his arc reactor. The idea of someone, anyone, touching it was enough to make his breath hitch a little. The idea of them doing it with _magic_ made him feel sick.

But he knew that he couldn’t keep doing this. Not with the pressure that sat in his chest every day, pressing against his lungs. Tony _knew_ this needed to happen. He needed to find a way to get the arc reactor out. No matter how terrifying the thought was.

“Fine.” Tony ran a hand over his face and then used it to push back the bits of hair that were falling towards his eyes. _I need a haircut,_ he thought absently. Which, well… A wave of magic and another push of his hand through his hair solved that problem for him. It took his hair down to its usual length and even styled it out of the way for him. Tony barely paid any attention to doing it, or to the amusement that it sparked in Magnus’ eyes. He was too busy sighing and glaring over at his father figure. “I’ll meet with him, that’s it. But I’m making no promises.”

The smile that stretched over Magnus’ face was bright enough to light up a room. “Absolutely. That’s all I’m asking for.”

Yeah, sure. Shaking his head, Tony dropped his hand down to fiddle with the loose pile of wiring on the tabletop. “So, do I get to know who it is I’m meeting before I get there, or is it some special sort of surprise? Because I’ll have you know I may be fond of surprises on a normal day, but I’m a little pickier when it comes to my health or my medical staff.”

“His name is Stephen Strange.”

 _Holy shit._ Tony’s eyes went wide and his mouth fell open. “ _What_?”

“I take it you know him?” Magnus asked, eyebrow arching upward.

A groan slid from Tony as he slumped down in his seat. Oh, hell, this was going to _suck_. This was going to suck _so hard_. Well aware that he was acting like a moody teenager, Tony didn’t even try to stop the disgusted curl to his lip. “You could say that. Stephen and I grew up in the same social circles. While we’re not exactly friends, we’re not really enemies, either. More… two massive egos that enjoy screwing with one another.” Which, in any other situation wouldn’t be a problem. But in this one, well, it might not be the best combination. Especially with Magnus there to witness it, or anyone else that they needed to be present.

Yeah, this was going to be interesting.

* * *

It was really, really hard for Tony to bite his tongue as he walked up to the front doors of the New York sanctum. Every part of him was aching to make a joke about the really old building, or about going to visit wizards in a glamoured place right out under the noses of muggles – _mundanes_. Tony was pretty proud of himself for holding it all together. He didn’t say any of that to Magnus as they walked up to the building. He hadn’t even cracked any wizard jokes at all. Not even when Magnus made sure that Tony was caught up on warlock-sorcerer relations, or Stephen’s actual title. This was serious business, and Tony tried to treat it seriously.

It worked, too.

Right up until the moment Stephen opened the door.

One look at the man in his robes and _cape_ and Tony couldn’t help it. A wide, delighted grin lit up his whole face, making him look like a kid who’d just discovered Christmas had come early. “Holy mother of Tesla…”

“ _Not_!” Stephen held a hand up, cutting him off. “A word, Stark. Not one.”

Oh, merciless Lilith, this was _amazing._ Tony threw his hands up in a gesture of peace while not even bothering to smother his grin. “Who, me?”

Stephen closed his eyes and drew in a deep breath. Kind of like he was praying for patience. Tony bet he was. It was a look he was intimately familiar with seeing on the faces of others. Gleefully, he stuffed his hands down into his pockets and rocked a little on his heels, waiting until Stephen opened his eyes once more to grin at him.

The heavy sigh it got him was perfect. “I’m going to regret this,” Stephen said, voice flat.  Then he stepped back and held the door open, gesturing them in with one sweep of his hand. “Please, come in. We might as well get this over with so I can go back to doing actual important things.”

“What kind of important things do you do here?” Tony asked. He stepped in ahead of Magnus, ignoring him for the moment, and just grinned as he fell into step beside Stephen. “I mean, I’ve got to say, I’m curious. What exactly does a _Sorcerer Supreme_ get up to in their spare time?”

“You mean aside from saving you and your world from being destroyed by beings from other dimensions?”

Tony waved a hand negligently in front of him. “Yeah, yeah. You took out one demon from the Dark Dimension, we’re all very proud and grateful. You forget, though. I hang out with people who hunt demons on a regular basis. I don’t need to hear your stories too.” Reaching out, Tony patted absently at Stephen’s shoulder. “I’m sure you and your fights are very impressive, dear.”

When Tony turned – definitely enjoying the huffing sound that Stephen made – he found Magnus watching the two of them. His eyebrows were up, and the corners of his mouth just slightly curled. At Tony’s head tilt, a silent _what_ , Magnus let his smile grow. “You didn’t tell me you two slept together.”

The way that Stephen whipped around, and the hint of color that touched his cheeks, was amusing. Tony didn’t give him a chance to form the protests it was clear he was ready to give. Before he could, Tony shrugged at Magnus and told him: “It was a long time ago? We were teenagers and pretty pissed off at the word and dads in general.” They’d been at a charity gala, both of their families there to donate so they’d look good in the eyes of the world, and Tony had been sniping with Stephen most of the night. Somehow it had ended with him snagging a bottle of the good stuff from behind the bar and then slipping out to the fancy gardens where they’d both drank more than enough. Drinking and ranting had dissolved into some angry frottage and quick hand jobs.

“It was just the once,” Stephen interjected. “And I blame the vodka.” While he still looked embarrassed, he always had been able to roll with the punches. It was one of the things that helped Tony like him almost as much as he was annoyed by him.

“Vodka is always to blame,” Tony said agreeably.

Still looking quite amused, Magnus grinned at them and shook his head. “All right, children. Might we get back on topic, or should we allow you two to fight and flirt for a little longer?”

“ _Babbo_.” Shaking his head in mock-disappointment, Tony gave him a scolding look. “You’re the one who taught me how to multitask. Don’t begrudge me my fun.”

Still, they were there for an important reason, and it was one that none of them could forget no matter how much teasing or flirting was going on.  Because of that, Tony let himself get dragged into Stephen’s office. They didn’t sit on either side of the desk, though. Stephen took them to the small sitting area off to the side where there were multiple chairs for them to sit in. In the middle of them was a coffee table on which a few folders and some papers were set up.

Tony didn’t hesitate to poke at the papers as soon as he sat down. What he hadn’t expected was for Stephen’s cloak to reach out and slap at his hand.

“Ow!” Tony jerked his hand back, glaring at the cape as he did. “Rude much? I was just looking!”

“You were poking your nose in where it doesn’t belong. As usual,” Stephen said dryly.

“It has my name on it!”

“What on earth did I agree to?” Magnus mumbled, lowering himself into the chair nearest Tony. He braced one elbow on the armrest and then reached up to rub at the space between his eyebrows. It was a gesture he did when he was focusing hard on something and was trying to find patience. Or working between frustration and humor, which was a sensation Tony seemed pretty good at inspiring in him.

Seeing it told Tony that he probably needed to tone down just a little. He knew he was a little over-the-top at the moment. It was easier than focusing on the nerves that he felt. But seeing the hint of real frustration from Magnus had him drawing in a breath and trying to switch on the more practical side of himself. “Right. So, we should probably get this started then before we drive Maggie here insane.” Crossing one leg over the other, Tony sat back in his seat and prepared to do business. “He explained to me the spell that you guys want to do, and I’ll admit, it seems solid. What part of it did you need me here to discuss with you?”

“Basic logistics. Where, when, any personal requests like that. This is your body and I wasn’t going to finalize any plans until I had your express permission, no matter what anyone else had to say,” Stephen said. He’d also sat back in his chair, and Tony had to admit, there was a clam and control to him that hadn’t been there before. Power, too. It sat in an aura around him that was hard to miss. Stephen had finally come into himself and it showed.

Having Stephen so bluntly give control of this to Tony – putting the choices for his body in his own hands – took away a tiny bit of Tony’s tension. It made it easier for him to nod his head. “You have a doctor you trust for this?”

“I do. She’s good at what she does. Not as good as I was, but above quite a few others. With me there to assist her, I don’t foresee a problem removing the shrapnel within the time limits of the spell. Without it…” Pausing, Stephen shrugged. “Without it, I’m sure I would’ve been able to do it on my own were my hands in working order. But with it, Christine and I shouldn’t have any problems.”

“I want it done at night,” Tony said, apropos of nothing.

Stephen looked surprised by that. “Is there a specific reason for that?”

“Yes.” That was all Tony said. He didn’t feel the need to explain himself any further. Though he could see the understanding on Magnus’ face that said that he knew why Tony was demanding that. He let him, too, and didn’t try to say anything, not even when Stephen shot a look his way. Magnus just smiled calmly and kept quiet.

Their reactions had Stephen shaking his head. “Fine, fine. That doesn’t make any difference to me, or to the spell. You’ll need to make sure you’re prepared to take some time off afterward. A few days, at least, for your time in the hospital. After that…”

Tony’s laughter cut him off.

Raising an eyebrow, Stephen looked like he couldn’t decide between being annoyed or offended or confused. “You find your health funny, Stark?”

The grin he got clearly wasn’t the answer he was expecting. Tony just let it grow. “I find it funny that you seem to think Magnus and Catarina aren’t going to heal me the instant you get those bits of metal out,” As if they’d waste any time healing him once the shrapnel was gone. Tony doubted he’d even be able to leave the operating room without being healed.

Beside him, Magnus snorted. “ _I_ find it funny that you think anyone could keep Anthony in bed for a few _hours_ , let alone _days_ , for something that isn’t sex.”

Tony lifted a finger and pointed it in Magnus’ direction, never looking away from Stephen. “The man has a very valid point. This bed rest…do I get company in this bed you’re planning on trying to force me into? And if so, do I get to pick, or are you in charge of picking? Cause if you’re in charge, I’m requesting that Magnus assist you. He’s got good taste and he knows what I like. That should probably be weird.” Turning his head, he gave Magnus a curious look. “Is that weird? I don’t know what normal relationships with a father looks like, let alone a pseudo-father-brother-best-friend kind of relationship.”

A smile lit up Magnus’ face. With one hand he reached out and pat Tony’s arm. “Never try and judge your relationships based on anyone else’s, darling. Each one is unique to the people in it. Our relationship works for us – that’s all that matters.”

“Sorry, Stark, but I’m not here as your orgy organizer,” Stephen said dryly.

Tony mock pouted. “Pity.”

It only made Stephen roll his eyes at him again. He sighed, as if Tony was just _that_ frustrating, and then shook his head and pointedly ignored anything they’d just said. “I can arrange things with Christine and see about getting this all together. The spell components won’t take long to prepare, and Christine should be free. How soon are you looking to do this?”

This was the moment of truth. Tony had talked about the spell with Magnus, and he was here now, feeling out the details with Stephen. They had a spell to help them and a doctor willing to do the job. While Tony might not always like Stephen, he did trust his skills as a doctor. If Stephen said this was doable, and that he trusted this Christine to do this, than Tony would trust that he was right. Everything needed to take the arc reactor out was right here in front of him. All Tony had to do was have the courage to reach out and take it.

He felt Magnus’ hand close over his, and he drew strength from that support. It allowed Tony to lift his head and to even smile at Stephen. “How soon can you be ready?”

* * *

An hour later the two men were walking into Magnus’ loft. The last thing Tony wanted was to be home alone tonight. He hadn’t protested at all when Magnus insisted that Tony come back with him. He just let himself get tugged along until they were there, stepping through the portal and into the safety of a place that would always be home.

Alec was already home when they arrived. He was on the corner of the couch, dressed down to sweatpants and a loose dark red t-shirt, and reading a book. He looked up at their arrival and smiled up at them. “Hey, guys. I was wondering when you’d be home.”

The man didn’t even blink at Tony’s presence. He’d gotten used to his surprise visits. If anything, he treated it like Tony was just always there, always welcome. Which, Tony knew he was. He knew he was always welcome wherever Magnus was. But it made it a bit more meaningful sometimes to know that Alec felt the same way, and that he offered Tony that same feeling. As if wherever Alec was would be home to Tony, too.

Because of that, Tony didn’t hesitate to go over to the couch and drop himself down right in the middle, body curving so that he could flop his head down onto Alec’s thighs while the rest of him stretched out over the remaining parts of the couch.

It earned him a low chuckle. “Hello to you too, Tony.”

There was the sound of movement above him. Then Tony could hear as Magnus must’ve been down to kiss Alec hello. Since Alec didn’t move him for it, Tony didn’t pay any attention. He just let his eyes close and buried his face against Alec’s stomach. It put him on his side in a way that wasn’t all that easy. A quick wave of his hand got him a pillow, though, that he pressed just right so to help keep the arc from pressing down against his lungs too hard.

One of Alec’s hands came up to stroke through Tony’s hair. He let his fingers run through it, nails occasionally scratching down to his scalp, and it felt like it was pulling Tony’s headache right out of his head. “So, how’d things go?”

“We’ve got everything arranged,” Magnus said. He moved in what sounded like the direction of his drink cart. “The spell is all prepared for, the components are put together. All I need to do now is prepare a potion for Anthony to drink. One the night before, and one the night of. Strange is prepared for his parts, and the doctor he found has the free time.”

“You guys set a date?”

Tony nodded against Alec’s hip. He didn’t pull away as he asked: “You doing anything this Saturday night, _patrigno?_ ”

“Nothing that can’t be rescheduled,” Alec answered immediately.

His willingness to rearrange things like that, without any hesitation, had Tony pressing in a little closer. The knowledge that he wasn’t going to do this alone was pretty much the only thing that was keeping him going at the moment. Magnus and Catarina would be there, and so would Raphael, and now Alec had agreed to be there as well. Tony knew he could get Pepper or Jim there, too, if he asked them. Hell, if he wanted he could probably ask any one of his friends and they’d come. Isabelle, Jace, Simon, Mickey, Gwaine, Saffron, Elara, Aella. Any of them would come be there for Tony if he asked them to.

He was going to do this. He was actually going to do this. Tony closed his eyes and pressed a little closer to Alec.

The idea of allowing anyone to come near his arc reactor, to go after the shrapnel that could very easily kill him, was terrifying. But he was going to have plenty of people there to watch his back.

He wasn’t going to be alone. Not this time.


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> warning, talk of needles, surgery, anesthesia, and past surgery, plus a bit of body horror in a sense

Somehow Tony managed to keep himself distracted from his up-and-coming surgery. He knew if he let himself think about it, he’d panic, and that was the last thing he could afford to do. Bad enough that his nightmares seemed to have come back with a vengeance in response to this. He didn’t need to panic during the daylight hours, too. So, in the few days between their visit with Strange and the scheduled appointment, Tony sequestered himself in his lab and lost himself in an inventing spree.

It wasn’t just a mundane inventing spree. No, Tony was indulging himself in a magical invention spree which kept his brain distracted while having the added bonus of taking a lot of his magic. Meaning that, by the time his surgery came around, his magic levels would be lower than normal. Hopefully that would make it less likely for him to use it to lash out against them when they touched the arc reactor. The idea was that lower magic levels would make it easier for Magnus to be able to hold a shield over him.

What that meant for Tony was that he was free to pull up a wish-list of magical objects that he liked to amuse himself with thinking about working on. There were a few things on there that were actually important, though.

At the top of the list was a joint project with Magnus, which was kind of perfect seeing as how Magnus wasn’t going to leave him alone. The two were free to put their heads together over a gift Magnus wanted made for Alec – a new bow. He had the materials they needed for it, as well as the spell components for some of the things they would soak different bits of it in. But, as Magnus told Tony, “I know my strengths and weaknesses. I’m not afraid to admit that Catarina’s the better healer, or that you have a mastery with magical objects that’s unrivaled by any other warlock I know.”

Making a bow for Alec wasn’t that difficult. It was, however, delicate work in some areas, and that worked perfectly to keep Tony’s mind occupied. At least for a while.

He also took the time to make a few ward boxes. Those were easy and _boring_ , but they were a drain on his energy, which _was_ the end-goal here. Plus, ward boxes were handy to have around. They were perfect for containing magical items that were out of control. Once stored inside a proper ward box there was no way whatever curse was on the item would be able to get out. Tony had a few he’d promised to make for a client of Magnus’, and this was the perfect time to make them.

All in all, there were plenty of things to keep Tony busy until Friday night rolled around.

They didn’t leave until just before sunset. Tony and Magnus left Tony’s Malibu home together after Tony made sure one last time that JARVIS had things well in hand for the weekend, and that Pepper was sure she’d be able to handle any SI emergency that came up, or anything with the new Tower that was being built in New York.

“You’re sure you’ve got everything handled, J?” Tony asked one last time.

JARVIS, amazing and infinitely patient being that he was, didn’t hesitate to answer. “Yes, Sir. All plans and contingency plans are in place, with Babysitter protocols in place.” There was a brief pause, and then JARVIS added on: “I will be in contact with you the entire time, Sir. We’ve already set up my presence in the operating theater, and I’m linked into the entire hospital. I’ve also continued to scan SHIELD’s servers and have found no indication that they’re aware of any of our plans. All patients have been checked and verified, as have any staff present, and security around your floor has been tightened to guarantee no one except for authorized personnel will be able to enter. We’re ready for you, Sir.”

Okay. _Okay_. They were ready. Tony could do this. He could.

With Magnus a steady presence beside him, their hands linked together, Tony let the man lead him through the portal…

…and out into the hospital.

They landed in the pre-op room that had been set up for him. Tony knew that Magnus, JARVIS, Stephen, and Alec had all worked together to try and make this whole situation as secure as it could possibly be. JARVIS had pulled up blueprints of the hospital to show Tony what would happen. They’d managed to clear an entire floor for themselves, which was made easier by Tony’s insistence that they do this at night.

There was no one waiting for them in the pre-op room, thankfully. Tony didn’t want witnesses for the way he tensed up the instant he realized where he was.

“You’re all right,” Magnus murmured to him. He waved away the portal with one hand while his other rubbed soothing circles on Tony’s back. “I’m right here, little dragon. I’ll be right here with you the entire time.

Tony wanted to be a grownup about this. He really did. And around others he’d probably be able to manage it. But in that moment, with just the two of them, he let himself take hold of Magnus’ hand again. “Promise?”

“Absolutely.”

It took only a few minutes for Tony to bring himself to change into the hospital clothes that had been left in here for him. Since the whole operation was happening on his chest, he was given a pair of hospital pants that were just a bit too long, with a drawstring at the waist to hold them up. There wasn’t any real point in a shirt. There was a robe, at least, though it definitely wasn’t hospital issue. It was big, dark red, and extremely soft. Magnus grinned when he pulled out of the bag sitting on one of the nearby chairs. “I figured this would be more comfortable before and afterward.”

Tony grinned right back at him. Then he let Magnus help him into the robe. Once it was on and belted, he felt a lot less exposed. Though climbing into the hospital bed didn’t really help that whole _exposed_ feeling.

Moving to sit his hip against the edge of Tony’s bed, Magnus took hold of his hand once again. “Ready?”

“No.” Tony let out a low, aching laugh that showed far too many of his nerves. He was far from ready for this. Yet he didn’t really have much choice anymore, did he? He’d already agreed to this and got the whole thing set up. It was kind of last-minute to let his doubts get to him now.

Magnus squeezed his hand and smiled at him. “You’re going to be fine, _piccolino_. None of us are going to let anything happen to you.”

“You don’t know that. So many things could go wrong. I mean, that’s always a case in surgery, but this one’s a bit different. What if they can’t keep the shrapnel in place? What if my magic reacts when you guys take the arc reactor out? What if…”

“What if you took a breath and relaxed?” Still holding Tony’s hand, Magnus brought his free one up to stroke the backs of his fingers over Tony’s cheek. “We’ve done everything we can to plan for each and every outcome. We’re as prepared as we’re ever going to be. So long as you still want to do this, we’re ready, sweet one.”

“I want to do this.” Of course he did. Taking the arc reactor out – he’d never meant it to be permanent. However, that didn’t mean that he wasn’t _fucking terrified_ of this whole thing.

Any conversation was cut off by a light rap against the door. It wasn’t until Tony cleared his throat and called out a “Come in!” that the door finally opened. Catarina poked her head in, smiling when she saw them. “I thought I felt you two arrive. You two ready for this?”

Tony pushed down his fears as far as he could. Then, with a death grip on Magnus’ hand to help steady him, he gave Catarina his best smile. “Ready as we’ll ever be.”

It helped a little to watch the easy and confident way that Catarina moved when she came in the room. She was pulling things out of cupboards and setting up a rolling tray with easy movements that made the whole thing seem natural and relaxed. “Good. We’re all set up down in surgery. Strange and Dr. Christine are going over things one last time while they wait for us. The operating theater is prepped and ready to go, and Isabelle already arrived and is preparing as well.”

To Tony’s surprise, as soon as Isabelle had found out about the surgery, she’d offered to be a part of the surgical team. While she openly admitted that she wasn’t a doctor, she’d trained with the medical staff for Shadowhunters, and she was their resident medical examiner. She had enough knowledge that the rest of Tony’s medical staff, plus Tony himself, felt comfortable allowing her to assist. It’d free up Catarina to be able to be their anesthesiologist. Not only did Catarina have training in that, she also knew Downworlder physiology – and Tony – well enough to recognize the higher levels of anesthesia he might need without tipping over into the danger zone.

“Raphael’s here already, too,” Catarina told them, wheeling her tray over to the side of Tony’s bed, opposite the side Magnus was on. She pulled on gloves from the box on her tray, smiling at Tony as she did. “He’s down in the waiting room with Simon and Alec. Gwaine, Jace, Clary, Elara, and Aella are patrolling the perimeter while Mickey and Saffron are keeping track of the wards Magnus put up.”

When Catarina picked up his hand to begin to place the IV, Tony tipped his head so that he was looking more at the ceiling than anything else. “It’s like a party.”

“Isn’t everything?” Magnus teased him. He held Tony’s hand a little tighter, not even wincing at his firm grip.

A tap against Tony’s other hand warned him of what was coming next. “Okay, Tony, I need you to drop your glamour. It’s going to be tricky placing a needle between scales.”

That had been another part of this that Tony wasn’t all that fond of. There was no way anyone would be able to cut into his body easily; not with his scales, and especially if they couldn’t _see_ his scales. While his glamour was stronger than the average one, made to make it almost like his marks weren’t there – protecting him from shredding everything with his claws – for something like this, like _surgery_ , there was no _getting around them_.

He remembered Yinsen talking to him about it afterward, apologizing for the scales he’d been forced to rip away to get to the skin underneath. They had a much better plan in place _here_ , but it didn’t make Tony any less nervous, nor less uncomfortable about showing off to everyone the parts of himself that were meant to be _private_.

A dull, bitter laugh tumbled from Tony. “You know, it says something about me that I don’t mind the countless videos all over the internet that show off my dick, but the idea of showing everyone my scales has me squirming like some virgin on her wedding night.”

Magnus wrapped his free hand around their joined ones. It let him stroke a finger lightly over Tony’s wrist. He didn’t say anything. Neither of them did. They knew well enough that Tony’s comment had been said for any sort of reply.

It took a minute and a few calming breaths before Tony was able to make himself unravel the glamour that always sat over him.

Catarina had kept her fingers and the needle carefully on the back of Tony’s hand so as to mark the space where his vein was. It wouldn’t be easily found with scales covering it. Once his glamour was gone – Tony continued to look at the wall, he didn’t need to check if it worked, he could tell just by the changes to his vision – he felt her fingers move just a little. The one scale was being lifted ever so carefully, just enough for the needle to slide underneath.

They’d practiced this, just to make sure it worked. Because of that Tony was prepared for the sharp sting of his scale being moved seconds before the needle finally slid into place. Catarina had used a special IV for this, one with a longer needle so that it had space to come out under his scale as well to make for minimal discomfort.

Once she got that in place, it was easy for her to tape it down and then begin setting up the rest of the IV. Tony still refused to look at it. He blinked his eyes a few times and focused on settling his vision in place. The way he saw with these eyes was a bit different than normal. It took just a little adjusting.

“All right, Tony. We’ve got a quick questionnaire to run through and the we’ll bring Raphael in before we take you back to get prepped,” Catarina said, drawing the tray away and turning to face him, chart in hand. “Are you ready?”

He held back his honest answer this time. Ready or not, they were doing this. “As I’ll ever be.”

* * *

Fifteen minutes later found Tony lying back on a hospital bed as he was being wheeled down the hallway. Magnus and Raphael were on either side of him while Catarina was behind his head pushing the bed. The whole thing felt strange and surreal, with a sort of floaty edge that he was guessing came from whatever was in the IV. Or perhaps from the magical shield that Magnus had already cast over him. It wasn’t anything big yet – just something to help Tony’s magic stay in him instead of letting it lash out if he got upset.

So far, Tony was keeping pretty calm. At least for the most part. There was a brief moment of panic that tried to kick in when the bed was taken through a set of doors into the operating room, and Raphael suddenly wasn’t there anymore.

“It’s all right,” Magnus murmured, bending down so that his face was right there, his gloved hand cupping Tony’s cheek. A simple snap of the fingers had been all it took for Magnus to gown up the instant they hit the room. He had gloves, gown, and mask on, yet his cat eyes were still visible over the top. “He’s just getting his own gown on and scrubbing real quick. He’ll be right back, _piccolino_.”

In proof of his words, there was a soft _whoosh_ and then Raphael was back at Tony’s side again, gloved hand coming up to take Magnus’ place. “I’m right here, Antonio. Just like I said I’d be.”

The instant Raphael was back at his side Tony felt his heart start to slow once more. Just his presence was enough to take away some of the harsher edge of Tony’s panic. Even though he knew there wasn’t much Raphael would be able to do here if things went bad, he’d come to represent a type of safety in ways that he’d once told Tony were a big brother’s job.

Tony had been briefly distracted by his panic. Because of that, he hadn’t realized that Isabelle and Stephen were already in the room, though Dr. Christine was nowhere in sight. Tony had known that in advance, though. She wasn’t going to be in here for the spell-casting portion of things. She’d be called in once it was time for the medical aspect.

Even with her mask on it was easy to see that Isabelle was grinning when Tony reached them. “Lookin’ good,” she teased him, dancing her fingers over the scales on his arm as Magnus’ magic lifted Tony from one bed and placed him down on the other.

He smiled back at her as best as he could. “Are you kidding? I _always_ look good.”

“Really?” Stephen asked dryly. “Flirting, now?”

“I’m not dead yet,” Tony shot back.

His words earned him a quick smack from Magnus, who met Tony’s grin with a scowl. From Raphael there was a soft chuckle. “Not the best time for jokes like that, _hermanito_.”

Probably not. Still, inappropriate humor was kind of Tony’s _thing_.

The playful air around them faded away as Stephen straightened up. He drew himself together with the poise of both a surgeon and a Sorcerer Supreme, taking command of the room in a way that might’ve been impressive at any other time. “All right, Tony. It’s time to get started if we want to stay on schedule.”

Tony was grateful that Stephen hadn’t asked him if he was ready the way everyone else kept doing. It made it a little easier for Tony to nod his head at him.

Stephen nodded back. Then, in that slightly patronizing way of his, he began to walk them all through it one last time. “Right. First, Magnus and I are going to start the spell that will allow us to shield your magic and keep it subdued throughout the procedure. A sort of magical anesthesia. Once that’s achieved, Ms. Loss is going to administer the medical anesthesia. Once we have you fully sedated, we’ll progress to the second half of the spell – freezing the bits of shrapnel. Only then will Christine come in, and she and Isabelle will begin the procedure.”

“No one touches the arc reactor,” Tony blurted out. He squeezed on Raphael’s hand, trying not to let his claws tear at his brother’s skin. “Just Raphael. He’s the only one who gets to put his hands on it.” They’d talked about it before but it didn’t hurt to reiterate that point as well. If Stephen was going to talk them through the whole thing again, Tony was going to make sure the most important parts were firmly in everyone’s mind.

To his credit, Stephen nodded immediately. “Mr. Santiago can remove the arc reactor, and other pieces will be removed and passed to him as needed. No one else is going to touch them. Once it’s out of the way, and all shrapnel removed, you’ll have to temporarily heal the way humans would. You’re going to wake up sore and likely in pain, Tony. With the magical elements we had to add to it, there’s no way you can be healed until all the anesthesia is out of your system.”

“I remember. Can we just get on with it now?” Before the panic managed to crawl any further up his throat and force out the words he knew he didn’t want to say. If it had its way, Tony would be begging them to stop, and he’d really like to be sedated before he reached that point.

Magnus moved to stand above Tony’s head while Stephen went down by his feet. Everyone else backed away to give them the room to work. It was hard for Tony to let go of his brother’s hand. Somehow, he managed. Then he forced himself to lay completely still and watch as Magnus and Stephen began to chant. Magnus magic went over Tony first, a tingle that started at his head and worked its way down, while Stephen’s hit Tony’s toes and began to work its way up.

Every ounce of Tony’s control was put toward not moving as the two bits of magic worked their way over him, meeting in the middle and then overlapping one another. It was like a blanket of magic was being laid over top of his. Tony’s own magic wasn’t suppressed by it; this wasn’t like a pair of cuffs that locked Tony’s magic inside, though they had talked about the potential of using those if this didn’t work. No, this was more like his magic was going _numb_.

Panic churned in Tony’s gut as his magic numbed inside of him. He couldn’t feel it moving around inside him. The heat he was so used to was just… cold. Not there.

“Now, Isabelle,” someone was saying above him. “Hurry. He’s feeling this.”

Someone was at his IV doing _something_ while another pair of hands were sliding what felt like a mask over Tony’s face. He didn’t realize how still he’d gone, or how he’d closed his eyes, or even the tears that were dripping from them. Not until familiar fingers were there brushing those tears away, stroking over his cheeks and temples, and Magnus’ voice was right there in a soft whisper against his forehead. “You’re doing so well, sweetheart. Just hang on a little longer. I’ll be right here when you wake up, I promise. I love you.”

That was the last thing Tony heard before the magical anesthesia swept through his body. There wouldn’t have been time for him to even count down from ten. Between one blink ad the next, he was gone.

* * *

Reality returned in slow waves. Tony was aware of a low beeping sound from somewhere nearby. One that seemed to go just a bit faster than a normal heart. With sound came sensation, though it was off-kilter and just a bit fuzzy at the edges. He was aware of something against his cheek, his forehead, and then a voice telling him “Shh, _hermanito_. Go back to sleep. You’re all right.”

Tony knew he could trust that voice. With a sigh, he slipped back under.

* * *

The next time he woke the world was a lot clearer. Tony felt like he was waking up from a deep sleep as he blinked his eyes open and took in the semi-dark room around him. The light was on low, thank _fuck_. Tony had always been a bit more sensitive than most. Even with the low light, and what undoubtedly would’ve been dark for most, Tony could clearly make out a few figures sitting around his bed. All of them looking to be sound asleep.

It gave Tony a moment to gauge how he felt. There was a definite pain in his chest, though it was cut off by the aid of painkillers, no doubt. Which would explain the still fuzzy feeling that most of his limbs had. Moving seemed like a terrible option. Something that, no, he really didn’t want to try doing. But at the same time he really needed to be able to lift his head enough to look down at his chest. There was no telltale blue glow filling the room… had they done it? Were they successful?

Tony wasn’t sure what gave away that he was awake. But one second he was laying there silently freaking out and the next second Raphael was right there with him, one hand pressing against Tony’s shoulder to keep him in place while his other hand came up to cup Tony’s face. “Steady, Antonio. You’re all right.”

“Rafi…” The word came out a hoarse wheeze, yet there was also a smile, one that Tony hoped showed all his gratitude at finding his brother here. “Did… did it…?”

Raphael easily filled in the blanks of Tony’s question. “Yeah, it worked. The shrapnel is gone, and I got your arc reactor to JARVIS who has it on lockdown. Catarina portaled us to your house long enough to lock it away.” A smile curved Raphael’s lips. “We did it, _hermanito_. You’re gonna be okay.”

“More than okay.” Neither one had noticed Magnus stirring, but they both turned their heads at the sound of his voice. They found him pushing himself up off the chair and moving to the side of the bed opposite Raphael. He had a big grin on his face that immediately set Tony at ease. There was no way Raphael was lying to him, he knew, but seeing Magnus’ grin just made it feel… real.

“It’s gone?” Tony whispered, throat too sore for much more noise.

Magnus nodded at him. “It’s gone. Cat and I did what we could to work the repairs on your ribs and sternum for now. Once the rest of the anesthesia is out of your system, we’ll finish the repairs. But those are simple and they won’t take long.” Magnus stepped forward and then leaned down, pressing a kiss to Tony’s forehead. “We did it, _piccolino_.”

They’d done it. Tony let himself slump back in bed as a wave of relief washed over him. They’d really, truly done it. The shrapnel was gone, he was no longer dependent on the arc reactor, and Magnus and Catarina were going to be able to repair the rest of his chest. _They’d done it_.

This time when Tony drifted back to sleep, it was with the warmth of his family on either side of him, and a smile on his lips.


End file.
